Toothbrush and dentifrice holder



May 16, 1967 G. A. CHURCH TOOTHBRUSH AND DENTIFRICE HOLDER Filed Aug. 11, 1964 IMVINI'OI- GEORGE A, CHURCH United States Patent 3,319,833 TOUTHBRUSH AND DENTIFRICE HOLDER George A. Church, 130 3rd Ave., Port Aiberni, British Columbia, Canada Filed Aug. 11, 1964, Ser. No. 389,241 4 Claims. (Cl. 222-93) This invention relates to a holder and container for a toothbrush and dentifrice in the form of a compact unitary package.

It is appreciated, that heretofore, holders or containers have been devised wherein toothbrush and dentifrice may be placed and carried in the pocket of a coat or purse. These containers have, in the main, been very elaborate of design and construction and are therefore relatively costly. These containers are not suitable for disposal, being designed to be used over and over again. The toothpaste portions of the container therefore gradually accumulate old and dried toothpaste.

The present invention on the other hand envisages a container of unitary construction of a composition such as the modern plastics which are easily moldable and which are so inexpensive that it may be disposed of after one or two uses with little loss.

The present invention also provides a container which, if desired, may be re-used, the construction thereof making the refilling of the dentifrice portion of it very easily fillable from a standard collapsible toothpaste tube.

The present invention also provides a container which is not much larger than the average or standard toothbrush and which is therefore capable of being easily carried in a jacket pocket or in a purse. This latter feature is very important as it overcomes the objection that a normal individual has to carrying a separate toothpaste container and brush with him wherever he may go, such as on one-day trips where it is not intended to carry any luggage.

The present invention comprises an elongated unitary container formed of a resilient material having a first substantially L-shaped compartment shaped to receive a toothbrush and open at one end, and a second elongated compartment for a dentifrice, the latter extending adjacent a. leg of the first compartment and having a nozzle at its end opposite the open of said first compartment and being closed at the other end, both compartments having a common wall, means at the closed end of the dentifrice compartment whereby the walls of the latter may be collapsed progressively from said closed end toward the nozzle end whereby substantially all of the dentifrice may be ejected therefrom, and closure means detachably secured to the open end of each of the compartments.

In the drawings which illustrate the embodiments of the invention,

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of one embodiment of a toothbrush and dentifrice container having a portion of the front wall cut away to view the interior,

FIGURE 2 is .a side elevation of the container of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is a section taken along line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a section taken along line 44 of FIG- URE 2, and

FIGURE 5 is a partial section of another embodiment of the container, taken near the closed end of the dentifrice compartment.

Referring to the drawings, one embodiment of the toothbrush and dentifrice container which is herein indicated with the numeral is preferably formed of one of the thermoplastic materials which is somewhat resilient and yet is sufliciently stiff so as to hold its form and shape under such pressures as is normally exerted upon objects carried in a jacket pocket, such as fountain pens and the like, during the course of a normal day.

The container 10 has a body portion 11 which is preferably molded as one complete unit having a toothbrush holding compartment 12 and a dentifrice holding compartment 13. The toothbrush compartment 12 is substantially L-shaped to snugly receive the handle 14 and brush 15 of a toothbrush 16, the walls 17 of that portion of the toothbrush compartment 12 extending around the brush portion 15 of the toothbrush and the walls 18 of the compartment 12 extending around the handle portion 14 of the toothbrush and being sufiiciently thick that they will not collapse under normal pressures. The handle end of the toothbrush compartment 12 is also closed with a wall 19 and the brush end is open.

The dentifrice compartment 13, which extends longitudinally of the container between the shoulder 20 formed by the L-shaped toothbrush compartment 12, has a substantially semi-circular cross section and is dimensioned so that the, entire body portion 11 of the container is of substantially the same uniform cross section throughout.

The dentifrice compartment 13 is closed at its end 21 adjacent the shoulder 20, and at its outer end is closed by a Wall 23, the latter being an extension of wall 19. Wall 23 is provided with a central opening 24 over which a nozzle 25 having a passage 26 therethrough is located, the nozzle being molded as an integral part of said body portion. The passage 26 is interiorly threaded as at 27 and is of sufficient diameter that said threads will threadedly engage the exteriorly threaded nozzle of a conventional toothpaste tube, not shown. The wall 23 is also provided with a plurality of vents 28 formed therethrough adjacent the nozzle 25.

A closure cap 30 is provided to close the passage 26 and is formed having an exteriorly threaded spigot arranged to threadedly engage the threaded passageway 26, and an annular flange 35 spacedly encircling the latter, the spigot and flange being arranged so that when the cap is tightened down with the spigot threadedly engaged in the passage, the annular flange 35 will close the vents 23. This is clearly indicated in FIGURE 4.

As indicated hereinbefore, the dentifrice compartment 13 is formed by extending the walls 18 of the handle portion of the container to form thin collapsible walls 36. In embodiment 10 of the invention, the walls 36 of the dentifrice compartment opposite to the nozzle end thereof are slightly thickened to form an elongated rib 37 connected to the body portion 11 of the container at the junction of the walls 17 and 18. This structure permits the rib 37, which is slightly flexible, to be used as a lever to collapse the walls 36 of the dentifrice compartment to force the toothpaste therefrom. The shape of the dentifrice compartment 13 at its end near rib 37 being narrow .and pointed, permits all of the dentifrice at that end to be moved towards the nozzle, otherwise if the cross sectional dimension of said compartment were the same throughout, a pocket would be formed at its end opposite the nozzle end and a certain amount of toothpaste trapped therein.

Container 10 is formed having a ridge 33 extending around the outside of the walls of the brush compartment 12 adjacent the open end 19. This ridge is adapted to fit a shaped groove 39 formed around the inner walls of a cover cap 40, the latter being adapted to fit over said open end 19. The cover cap 40 is also provided with vents 42 to permit the passage of air therethrough in order that the toothbrush 15 after it has been used and returned to the container 10 is provided with sufficient circulation of air to enable it to dry out. The container 10 is also provided with a clip 43 secured to the wall of the brush portion 12, in a standard manner, so

that the whole container may be clipped to inside pocket of a coat.

It may be noted here that the toothbrush holding compartment 12 and the toothbrush 16 are so dimensioned that the latter will snugly fit within the former in order to prevent it from rattling when the container and toothbrush are being transported.

FIGURE depicts another embodiment of a container 50. This container is alike in every respect to container with the exception of the formation of the dentifrice compartment 51 thereof. In container 50, the wall 52 of the dentifrice compartment is formed by extending wall 53 of the toothbrush compartment, so that the whole container is of the same outside measurement throughout. The difference between container 50 and container 10 lies in the form of juncture of the wall 53 and handle wall 54 in that they are joined in a smooth arcuate curve as at 55 so that the end of the dentifrice compartment opposite its nozzle end is again formed so that it tapers. It will be seen by referring to FIGURE 5 that the thumb of a hand, not shown, may be slid downwardly over the dentifrice compartment wall 52 progressively from its end opposite the nozzle end pressing said wall 52 against the wall 54, the tapered construction of the compartment permitting all of the toothpaste to be removed therefrom.

In the sale of the compact to the public, it is envisaged that the unit shall include the containers 10 and 50 together with a toothbrush and a dentifrice-filled dentifrice compartment. The compact may be continually employed until the toothpaste is used up and then disposed of, due to the relatively inexpensive construction of the containers. However, if it is desired, it may again be refilled with toothpaste. In order to do this, the toothpaste tube, not shown, may be screwed into the threaded passageway 26 and toothpaste squirted therein, the vents 28 permitting the escape of air from the dentifrice compartment 13 until the whole compartment has been completely filled. The cap may then be screwed down over the nozzle to close the vents, as hereinbefore mentioned.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A prophylactic compact comprising, an elongated unitary container formed of .a resilient material having a first substantially L-shaped compartment shaped to receive a toothbrush and open at one end, and a second elongated compartment for a dentifrice, the latter extending adjacent a leg of the first compartment and having a. nozzle at its end opposite the open end of said first compartment and being closed at its other end, both compartments having a common wall, said common wall being thicker than the opposite wall of the dentifrice compartment, said dentifrice compartment tapering towards its closed end whereby said opposite wall of the latter may be collapsed progressively from said closed end of the dentifrice compartment thereof towards the nozzle end whereby substantially all of the dentifrice may be ejected therefrom and closure means detachably securable to the open end of each of the compartments.

2. A prophylactic compact comprising, an elongated unitary container formed of a resilient material having a first substantially L-shaped compartment shaped to re ceive a toothbrush and open at one end, and a second elongated compartment for a dentifrice, the latter extending adjacent a leg of the first compartment and having a nozzle at its end opposite the open end of said first compartment and being closed at and tapering towards its other end, both compartments having a common wall, said common wall being thicker than the opposite wall of the dentifrice compartment, an elongated resilient rib formed along said opposite wall of the dentifrice compartment and secured to the common wall at the closed end of the dentifrice compartment, said rib serving as a lever whereby pressure thereon will urge the dentifrice from said closed end of the dentifrice compartment towards the nozzle thereof whereby substantially all the dentifrice may be ejected from the said dentifrice compartment, and closure means detachably securable to the open end of each of the compartments.

3. A prophylactic compact comprising, an elongated unitary container formed of a resilient material having a first substantially L-shaped compartment shaped to re ceive a toothbrush and open at one end, and a second elongated compartment for a dentifrice, the latter extending adjacent a leg of the first compartment and having an internally threaded nozzle at its end opposite the open end of said first compartment and being closed at its other end, both compartments having a common wall, said common wall being thicker than the opposite wall of the dentifrice compartment, said dentifrice compartment tapering towards its inclined end whereby said oppo-- site wall of the latter may be collapsed progressively from said closed end of said dentifrice compartment towards its nozzle end whereby substantially all of the dentifrice may be ejected therefrom, at least one vent at the closed end of the dentifrice compartment located adjacent the nozzle, a closure cap for the nozzle, said closure cap having an externally threaded spigot adapted to threadedly engage the threaded nozzle, and an annular flange spacedly encircling the spigot, said flange being adapted to embrace the nozzle and to cover the vents when the closure cap is tightened over the nozzle.

4. A prophylactic compact comprising, an elongated unitary container formed of a resilient material having a first substantially L-shaped compartment shaped to receive a toothbrush and open at one end, and a second elongated compartment for a dentifrice, the latter extending adjacent a leg of the first compartment and having an internally threaded nozzle at its end opposite the open end of said first compartment and being closed at and tapering towards its other end, both compartments having a common wall, said common wall being thicker than the opposite wall of the dentifrice compartment, an elongated resilient rib formed along said opposite wall of the dentifrice compartment, said rib extending from a juncture with the common wall at the closed end of the dentifrice compartment, said rib serving as a lever whereby pressure therein will urge the dentifrice from said closed end of the dentifrice compartment towards the nozzle end thereof whereby substantially all the dentifrice may be ejected from the said compartment, at least one vent at the closed end of the dentifrice compartment located adjacent the nozzle, a closure cap for the nozzle, said closure cap having an externally threaded spigot adapted to threadedly engage the threaded nozzle, and an annular flange spacedly encircling the spigot, said flange being adapted to embrace the nozzle and to cover the vents when the closure cap is tightened over the nozzle.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 674,499 5/1901 Eaton 132-84 1,098,008 5/1914 Ash 13284 1,324,173 12/1919 ROSS 13284 2,228,669 1/1941 Tedesco 13284 2,652,064 9/1953 Shook 13284 2,662,535 12/1953 Alboreo et al. 20615.1 X 2,784,865 3/1957 Rieke 21556 2,793,381 5/1957 McWhorter 13284 2,809,386 10/1957 Asturias 132--84 RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

G. E. MCNEILL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A PROPHYLACTIC COMPACT COMPRISING, AN ELONGATED UNITARY CONTAINER FORMED OF A RESILIENT MATERIAL HAVING A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY L-SHAPED COMPARTMENT SHAPED TO RECEIVE A TOOTHBRUSH AND OPEN AT ONE END, AND A SECOND ELONGATED COMPARTMENT FOR A DENTIFRICE, THE LATTER EXTENDING ADJACENT A LEG OF THE FIRST COMPARTMENT AND HAVING A NOZZLE AT ITS END OPPOSITE THE OPEN END OF SAID FIRST COMPARTMENT AND BEING CLOSED AT ITS OTHER END, BOTH COMPARTMENTS HAVING A COMMON WALL, SAID COMMON WALL BEING THICKER THAN THE OPPOSITE WALL OF THE DENTIFRICE COMPARTMENT, SAID DENTIFRICE COMPARTMENT TAPERING TOWARDS ITS CLOSED END WHEREBY SAID OPPOSITE WALL OF THE LATTER MAY BE COLLAPSED PROGRESSIVELY FROM SAID CLOSED END OF THE DENTIFRICE COMPARTMENT THEREOF TOWARDS THE NOZZLE END WHEREBY SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE DENTIFRICE MAY BE EJECTED THEREFROM AND CLOSURE MEANS DETACHABLY SECURABLE TO THE OPEN END OF EACH OF THE COMPARTMENTS. 